Meme to macabre, the best pop culture Halloween costumes for 2025

Halloween’s creeping up, and you’ve got two options: spend a week DIY-ing a costume no one understands, or pull off a pop culture reference that instantly steals the show. This year’s inspo board is stacked with everything from real-world chaos (hello, Louvre heist) to political satire and clever on-screen mash-ups. Think low effort, high payoff, and maximum meme potential.

The Louvre heist robbers

Remember when the Louvre got looted in broad daylight this year? The security guards definitely weren’t amused, but the internet called it “iconic behaviour.” The robbers posed as construction workers, wore balaclavas (under the guise of beating the Paris chill), used a furniture lift and angle grinders to steal priceless jewels in minutes, and zipped off on scooters like it was Lupin: The Sequel. Throw on black trousers, crisp white shirts, fluorescent safety vests, and a balaclava. Add some blingy fake jewels to flaunt your loot, and if you roll up to the party on scooters, you’ve won Halloween.

Donald Trump

Forget ghosts and ghouls. Nothing says “Halloween horror” like a walking, talking political nightmare. With Trump back in headlines for all the wrong reasons, this costume practically writes itself. All you need is an ill-fitting navy suit, blinding red tie, suspiciously orange tan (your sister’s colour corrector will do), and that signature concealer pout of self-importance. Carry fake legal documents labelled the "Epstein files" for effect. It’s terrifyingly accurate, instantly recognisable, and guaranteed to make half the room laugh and the other half leave.

Zohran Mamdani

If dressing as Trump scares Democrats, then Zohran Mamdani will have conservatives trembling. The internet’s favourite socialist heartthrob is now a Gen Z icon who is part human rights activist, part chaos agent. To nail it: black suit, white shirt, slim black tie, a protest-stickered tote bag, and a badge that reads “Mayor of NYC.” Don’t forget the blush; he smiles enough to earn it. This last-minute costume is equal parts clever and scary: because nothing haunts the establishment like an eloquent socialist who quotes Marx and raps humorously.

Scarrie Bradshaw

Carrie Bradshaw, but make it a horror movie. Picture it: blood-stained Manolos, a tulle skirt that’s seen better (and bloodier) days, and smudged lipstick from one too many Cosmopolitans. It’s fashion’s favourite columnist, ghosted by Mr Big and possessed by vengeance. Carry a fake-blood Cosmo and a typewriter page that reads, “I couldn’t help but wonder… who killed the vibe?” It works as a solo costume or as a gory group costume where you can get your squad to take on Zombie Charlotte, Satanic Samantha, and a Murderous Miranda. And Just Like That…, you guys will win the most stylishly morbid costumes at the Halloween bash.

Enid Sinclair in Wednesday’s body

When Wednesday pulled a full-on Freaky Friday moment in Season 2 (thanks to that Lady Gaga–cursed body swap), chaos ensued. Seeing Enid’s sunshine energy trapped in Wednesday’s brooding body was gold. Channel the confusion: Wednesday’s plaits paired with Enid’s rainbow knit and mini skirt. Add glitter eyeliner tears and a “Help, I’m trapped in my best friend’s body” sign. Bonus if your bestie goes as Wednesday-in-Enid’s body—it’s freaky, funny, and 100% Halloween-core.

The performative male

You’ve seen him. You’ve probably dated him. The performative male: feminist-adjacent, wears silver rings, rolls his sleeves to reveal a Latin tattoo, and “casually” reads Murakami in public (never past page 47). This Halloween, it’s your turn to cosplay soft-boy delusion. Throw on a linen shirt, a tote bag with a pretentious quote, a stack of rings, a matcha latte, and a poetry book you pretend to annotate. Maybe even a Clairo t-shirt. It’s ironic, flirty, and dangerously accurate. Bonus: easiest costume ever! Just raid your ex’s closet.

The Coldplay kiss-cam couple

You saw it. We saw it. The internet definitely saw it. When ex-Astronomer CEO Andy Byrne and his “colleague” got caught kissing on the Coldplay concert cam, the internet collectively gasped. HR departments everywhere entered crisis mode. And cheaters began avoiding Coldplay concerts like their partner’s text messages. If you and your SO want this year’s most chaotic couple’s costume, this is it. One of you wears a baby-blue polo and a guilt-ridden grin; the other, a black dress with layered necklaces and the audacity to call it “platonic.” Add Coldplay wristbands, and don’t forget to duck dramatically every time someone pulls out a phone.

Katy Perry's space trip cosplay

When Katy Perry came back from her billionaire space trip and kissed the Earth, it was comedy gold. Between her zero-gravity singing and the collective fear she’d drop a new album from orbit, the memes wrote themselves. Recreate her “thank you, planet” moment by wearing a navy or black dive suit with silver boots, a DIY astronaut badge, and some glitter. Carry around a daisy and randomly drop to your knees mid-party, kiss the floor, and whisper, “So good to be back.”

Kendrick Lamar’s “say, Drake” Super Bowl moment

When Kendrick dropped the “Say, Drake” line during his Super Bowl halftime show, the internet combusted. That smirk? Legendary. That energy? Petty perfection. Recreate it with Y2K bootcut jeans, a statement varsity jacket (bonus if it says “Gloria”), a blingy chain, a cap, chunky boots, and a mic. Walk into the room like you’ve just ended a feud. Because, honestly, you have.

Luigi Mangione

Move over, serial-killer costumes, this Halloween, you’re channelling the man the internet can’t stop thirsting over. Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League grad who allegedly shot a CEO outside a Manhattan hotel, has achieved full-blown cult status for his brooding looks and angsty critique of the healthcare system (#FreeLuigi and all). For the fit: a maroon sweater over a collared shirt, khakis, loafers, and a pair of handcuffs. Bonus: carry a bunch of thirsty fan letters—they’ll boost your costume and your flirting game. (Because really, what’s a better icebreaker than unsolicited praise from strangers?) He’s a sexy criminal, and isn’t that what Halloween costumes are about anyway?

Skip the overdone Harley Quinns and cliché witches. This year, the best Halloween costumes don’t need fake blood or prosthetics, just pop-culture awareness and a solid Wi-Fi connection. In 2025, let's make irony the costume.

Lead image: Getty, Netflix

Also read: The 20 best Halloween costumes for any and every type of vibe in 2025

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